The author is a Forbes contributor. The opinions expressed are those of the writer.

Loading ...

Loading ...

This story appears in the {{article.article.magazine.pretty_date}} issue of {{article.article.magazine.pubName}}. Subscribe

Although loaded with tech, living rooms a few generations from now may be warmer and more wood-toned than one might think, not unlike this minimalist coffee table from Rich Brilliant Willing (RBW). Credit: Mike Garten

The roots of the basic living room likely reach back to the night that man first tamed fire.

The familiar semicircle initially used for seating around some sort of open hearth is recreated around coffee tables and entertainment walls even today.

A sofa or loveseat has taken the place of a stone slab or tree log; individual stumps or small boulders have been replaced by easy chairs and ottomans.

But will this rudimentary “Ozzie & Harriet”-type living area persist into the far future?

Will humanity’s permanent move to low-earth orbit (LEO) and beyond ultimately impact the way furniture is designed here on earth?

Burgeoning urban populations coupled with humanity’s move into outer space will likely result in more and more multi-functionalism in smaller and smaller earth-bound residences.

To cope, Barbara Imhof, a space architect at LIQUIFER Systems Group (LSG) in Vienna, says we will have to build furniture that is even more transformable and multi-functional than today.

Living in such small spaces is going to push people to furnish their own living spaces without an inherent sense of clutter or visual noise, says Theo Richardson, an industrial designer and co-founder of Rich Brilliant Willing (RBW), a Brooklyn-based contemporary lighting and furniture design manufacturer.

“The aesthetic of simpler lines, bold forms and bold solid colors is probably where the [residential] future will go,” said Richardson.

But will future generations still cuddle on overstuffed couches?

Perhaps, but with more multi-functionality, says Imhof. She says that future furniture will have integrated technology designed to make it more responsive both ergonomically and even via bio-feedback.

Thus, a couch pre-positioned to accommodate the more formal posture of visiting future in-laws, for instance, will upon their departure, subsequently transform back into its normal function as “chill-out” furniture.

As Richardson also notes, integration between appliances and architecture will likely become one, so that an entire wall will also become a video screen when needed.

Owen, who also operates his own private design studio, says future self-awareness in many of our domestic objects will blur the lines between what we consider “organic and inert.”

Richardson expects that transparent Organic Light-Emitting Diodes (OLEDs) will be embedded in structural glass, so that flat clear panels will provide a plethora of lighting options.

“This means you potentially don’t need light fixtures at all,” said Richardson. “All you’ll need are glass panels in a space, as windows or dividers, or ceiling panels.”

Yet in such a technological environment, will there still be room for heirloom antiques from our cultural past?

Everything that is handmade is becoming increasing valuable, says Richardson. As a result, he notes that French furniture is still being preserved and should still be available a couple of hundred years from now.

Family watching television, c. 1958 (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

“Those woodworking skills are almost lost in time,” said Richardson. “It’s important that we not lose the warmth and potential for uniqueness in an individual piece of wood. As everything around us gets more complex, disposable, and technologically-intertwined, our future society will appreciate greater simplicity and artisanal quality. So, materials that age well over time will endure.”

In science fiction, however, futuristic furniture is almost always an exercise in minimalist styling, says Owen. But that’s in part because he says the more we strive for an idealized version of the future, the more nostalgic we become.

Still, within a few generations, Imhof says living rooms as such may bow to multi-functionalism. And even more so than today, it will be a media room for interaction with physically and virtually present people.

As Richardson notes, however, some living room paradigms will likely never die. Despite Imhof’s caveats about its potential demise, as both Richardson and Owen point out, a hundred years from now, we’ll likely still be sitting around taking part in some sort of communal home entertainment --- even if that means watching a hologram or sharing the latest in virtual reality.